1970 Plymouth 'Cuda Is Part Car, Part Family Member: Video

Those who see cars as necessary evils, or worse, as the downfall of modern civilization, won’t understand the significance of one car being in the same family for over four decades.

They certainly won’t understand why someone would spend a jaw-dropping amount of cash to preserve the original engine and replace it with one built to produce nearly 700 horsepower, especially when it requires the use of 100-octane fuel and delivers single-digit fuel economy around town.

On the other hand, those of us who’ve turned wrenches on cars like this 1970 Plymouth Barracuda with a 440 6-Pack, or better yet driven them, understand that some cars can carry an emotional appeal that defies logic.

There’s more to certain vehicles than metal, rubber and plastic, and that’s obvious by the attention that John Cross has heaped on his 1970 ‘Cuda. The car originally belonged to his cousin, and Cross remembers the thrill of being pressed back into the upholstery when his cousin stomped the gas pedal.

A decade later, Cross bought the car from his cousin for $1,000; now, some 34 years on, Cross still owns, drives and wrenches on the same car. As those of us with the car gene know, a project car is never really “done,” only “in-between stages.”

Although the ‘Cuda has been a part of Cross’ family for over 40 years, he’s still realistic about ownership. The car isn’t for sale, but if the right person offered up the right amount of money, Cross would possibly rethink that.

And maybe that’s the biggest difference between cars and family: one you can sell without fear of jail time.